Author Topic: Sharing accounts with another contributor - a good idea? (Read 7010 times)

davidgoh · « **on:** January 24, 2013, 22:28 »

Hello people! I've been lurking about in MSG for a short while now, figured it's high time I got an account and started talking. MSG is now my go-to location for what's latest in the industry -- without it, I'd have never known stuff like iStock's recent Google deal and so on.

If it's not already apparent, I'm pretty new to this industry, only a few months old. It's been a ridiculously fun and addictive endeavour, and I'm planning on roping a good friend in so that we may contribute under the same account. Me wanting to do this was also because months ago - when I first got into stock - the first site I came across was iStockPhoto, and achieving Exclusive status immediately became my first goal. So collaborating just sort of made sense; generate more product under the same name, achieve higher royalties faster, get more exposure.

With recent events however, I've decided that going exclusive with iStock maybe isn't the best idea. I'm now attempting to submit to multiple sites to see how it's like, but that now also leaves me wondering if sharing an account with another contributor is a good idea anymore.

For example, I'm not sure if there's any legal issues. And if it is, what happens if we collectively choose to upload to a few agreed agencies, but individually we upload to other agencies of our own? Is there any violation of the usual ASAs? And also, is there any other hidden "pitfalls" in sharing a contributor account that Im not seeing? I've not really seen this done anywhere, so I truly have no clue. I'd like to know what you guys think, and if any of you have done or considered this before.

Thanks for reading! Looking forward to hearing what you all have to say.

Jo Ann Snover · « **Reply #1 on:** January 24, 2013, 22:35 »

You will need to have a legal entity - a company - hold the copyright to your images if you want to upload into one account. As far as I know none of the microstock sites will let you have an account with two different copyright holders - and when you upload you agree that you have full copyright to that image. Only one of you at a time can do that as individuals.

There are several teams - Husband and wife in some cases - doing this, but there's always one copyright on all the images.

If this is just a buddy, I think the issues - pitfalls - would be those that hit any partnership. One wants out, one works harder than the other, one sells better than the other.

I wouldn't touch an informal arrangement of this sort with a 10 foot pole and I think you'd have to be serious about stock as a business to go to the expense of making a company.

davidgoh · « **Reply #2 on:** January 24, 2013, 23:14 »

Quote from: jsnover on January 24, 2013, 22:35

You will need to have a legal entity - a company - hold the copyright to your images if you want to upload into one account. As far as I know none of the microstock sites will let you have an account with two different copyright holders - and when you upload you agree that you have full copyright to that image. Only one of you at a time can do that as individuals.

There are several teams - Husband and wife in some cases - doing this, but there's always one copyright on all the images.

If this is just a buddy, I think the issues - pitfalls - would be those that hit any partnership. One wants out, one works harder than the other, one sells better than the other.

I wouldn't touch an informal arrangement of this sort with a 10 foot pole and I think you'd have to be serious about stock as a business to go to the expense of making a company.

Hello jsnover! I'm really happy you took the time to reply. Thanks for bringing up the issue on copyright - that is indeed a huge issue that will have serious repercussions. I'm definitely not planning to do stock full time, so I guess getting a company to hold the copyright is out of the question. I guess the beauty of most stock sites is that you can see specifically what items are selling and what are not, which means it shouldn't be too difficult to split the costs accordingly based on whose work sells. But I do agree that an informal agreement on this level is well, usually a recipe for disaster.

Do legal entities/companies have a different sort of account on stock agencies? One that is subject to a different ASA, since it's a company and not an individual. I've looked up on this but haven't found much, though I recall seeing a certain account that had 10,000+ illustrations uploaded over a few years, and I thought that it was probably an organization or a group of people rather than a single person...

JPSDK · « **Reply #3 on:** January 25, 2013, 00:03 »

Umbrellas.

Say you have a group of photographers:
Your mother, your niece, your son, your wife and Joe from the bar.

You found a legal entity, a company, you could call it the Golden Globe photography, register the company and describe its activities and hire your group of photographers.

Then with contracts, that can be very specific, you describe the relation between the photographers and Golden globe.
Wordings could be: Glolden Globe decides to reassign ownership and copyright of the photos.
Now under the umbrella of the"Golden Globe company" you set up a number of other legal entities: Blue Planet, Red Planet and Green Planet, whose relation to Golden Globe is described in contracts. Like: We hereby agree that ownership of the photos xxx and xxx is assigned from Golden Globe to Red Planet.

See now. Red Planet is able to make contracts with other companies, such as agencies, be it exclusive or not.
One important point is, that a photo should NOT appear at two places at the same time.

Despite, thats exactly what the Istock Google deal does.

OLJensa · « **Reply #4 on:** January 25, 2013, 03:36 »

Why not help him out starting his own accounts on the stock sites. Be sure to use referral links from you and you'll get a small amount from all of his sales too...

davidgoh · « **Reply #5 on:** January 25, 2013, 03:39 »

Quote from: JPSDK on January 25, 2013, 00:03

Umbrellas.

Say you have a group of photographers:
Your mother, your niece, your son, your wife and Joe from the bar.

You found a legal entity, a company, you could call it the Golden Globe photography, register the company and describe its activities and hire your group of photographers.

Then with contracts, that can be very specific, you describe the relation between the photographers and Golden globe.
Wordings could be: Glolden Globe decides to reassign ownership and copyright of the photos.
Now under the umbrella of the"Golden Globe company" you set up a number of other legal entities: Blue Planet, Red Planet and Green Planet, whose relation to Golden Globe is described in contracts. Like: We hereby agree that ownership of the photos xxx and xxx is assigned from Golden Globe to Red Planet.

See now. Red Planet is able to make contracts with other companies, such as agencies, be it exclusive or not.
One important point is, that a photo should NOT appear at two places at the same time.

Despite, thats exactly what the Istock Google deal does.

Wow, thanks for the detailed explanation. When you say that a photo should NOT appear at two places at the same time, you're referring that it should only be under one of the "Planets" at any given time right? Or are you referring to stock agencies?

davidgoh · « **Reply #6 on:** January 25, 2013, 03:40 »

Quote from: OLJensa on January 25, 2013, 03:36

Why not help him out starting his own accounts on the stock sites. Be sure to use referral links from you and you'll get a small amount from all of his sales too...

Hey OLJensa, thanks for the suggestion! Given the legal issues and potential messiness, that seems to be the best option to go with so far. Thanks for the suggestion!

leaf · « **Reply #7 on:** January 25, 2013, 05:19 »

Quote from: davidgoh on January 25, 2013, 03:40

Quote from: OLJensa on January 25, 2013, 03:36
Why not help him out starting his own accounts on the stock sites. Be sure to use referral links from you and you'll get a small amount from all of his sales too...

Hey OLJensa, thanks for the suggestion! Given the legal issues and potential messiness, that seems to be the best option to go with so far. Thanks for the suggestion!

That's what I'd suggest as well. Unless you are planning to make this a very large business venture.. keep things simple. Both open your own account.

OLJensa · « **Reply #8 on:** January 25, 2013, 05:48 »

Quote from: davidgoh on January 25, 2013, 03:40

Quote from: OLJensa on January 25, 2013, 03:36
Why not help him out starting his own accounts on the stock sites. Be sure to use referral links from you and you'll get a small amount from all of his sales too...

Hey OLJensa, thanks for the suggestion! Given the legal issues and potential messiness, that seems to be the best option to go with so far. Thanks for the suggestion!

Sure NP. But my advice is to be honest from the start and tell him that you will make some money on his sales, but this wont effect his earnings so it shouldn't be a problem...

JPSDK · « **Reply #9 on:** January 25, 2013, 05:55 »

Quote from: davidgoh on January 25, 2013, 03:39

Quote from: JPSDK on January 25, 2013, 00:03
Umbrellas.

Say you have a group of photographers:
Your mother, your niece, your son, your wife and Joe from the bar.

You found a legal entity, a company, you could call it the Golden Globe photography, register the company and describe its activities and hire your group of photographers.

Then with contracts, that can be very specific, you describe the relation between the photographers and Golden globe.
Wordings could be: Glolden Globe decides to reassign ownership and copyright of the photos.
Now under the umbrella of the"Golden Globe company" you set up a number of other legal entities: Blue Planet, Red Planet and Green Planet, whose relation to Golden Globe is described in contracts. Like: We hereby agree that ownership of the photos xxx and xxx is assigned from Golden Globe to Red Planet.

See now. Red Planet is able to make contracts with other companies, such as agencies, be it exclusive or not.
One important point is, that a photo should NOT appear at two places at the same time.

Despite, thats exactly what the Istock Google deal does.

Wow, thanks for the detailed explanation. When you say that a photo should NOT appear at two places at the same time, you're referring that it should only be under one of the "Planets" at any given time right? Or are you referring to stock agencies?

Well I was mote thinking of exclusivity. If for example Blue Planet is exclusive with an agency, the content should only be distributed by Blue planet.
You have to work it out carefully, and there is a lot of paperwork involved in the setup.

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Author Topic: Sharing accounts with another contributor - a good idea? (Read 7010 times)

davidgoh

Jo Ann Snover

davidgoh

JPSDK

OLJensa

davidgoh

davidgoh

leaf

OLJensa

JPSDK

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